Sandy Fly - Stiletto Fly

Fannia canicularis

Appearance

•   Adult - 10-11mm. The body has a pale grey colour, eyes are bronze-brown, and legs are dark reddish-brown.

Lifecycle

•  Adults are seen from April to September.
•  The larvae can take up to two years to develop and live in loose sand.
•  In the pupal stage the larvae curls into a circle or “u” shape lasting one or two weeks.

Habits

•  Adults live on sandy riverbanks with an open habitat free of shading trees.
•  The larvae of stiletto flies are active soil predators.